The Meaning of Zechariah 2:2 Explained

Zechariah 2:2

KJV: Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

YLT: And I say, 'Whither are thou going?' And he saith unto me, 'To measure Jerusalem, to see how much is its breadth, and how much its length.'

Darby: And I said, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

ASV: Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  I, Whither goest  thou? And he said  unto me, To measure  Jerusalem,  to see  what  [is] the breadth  thereof, and what [is] the length  thereof. 

What does Zechariah 2:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Zechariah 2:1-13 - The Redemption Of Jerusalem
The work of Temple-building had ceased for fifteen years and the new resolve to arise and build might meet with a similar fate. But the four horns met with four carpenters. For Babylon the carpenter was Cyrus; for Persia, Alexander the Great; for Greece, the Roman; for Rome, the Gaul. No weapon that is formed to thwart God's purposes can prosper. The young man with the measuring line embodied the new spirit animating the returned exiles. But God was intending to give more prosperity and increase than could be contained in walls. [source]

Chapter Summary: Zechariah 2

1  God, in the care of Jerusalem, sends to measure it
6  The redemption of Zion
10  The promise of God's presence

What do the individual words in Zechariah 2:2 mean?

So I said where [are] you going and he said to me to measure - Jerusalem to see what [is] its width and what [is] its length
וָאֹמַ֕ר אָ֖נָה ؟ אַתָּ֣ה הֹלֵ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י לָמֹד֙ אֶת־ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִרְא֥וֹת כַּמָּֽה־ רָחְבָּ֖הּ וְכַמָּ֥ה אָרְכָּֽהּ

וָאֹמַ֕ר  So  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָ֖נָה  where  [are] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אָן  
Sense: where?, whither? (of place).
הֹלֵ֑ךְ  going 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לָמֹד֙  to  measure 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָדַד  
Sense: to measure, stretch.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לִרְא֥וֹת  to  see 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כַּמָּֽה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
רָחְבָּ֖הּ  its  width 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רֹחַב  
Sense: breadth, width, expanse.
וְכַמָּ֥ה  and  what  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אָרְכָּֽהּ  its  length 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹרֶךְ  
Sense: length.